Ultimate Showdown!
by seldomselcouth
Summary: My take on how a fight between the Bleach characters and Twilight characters would go down. Some plot involved, set after BD for Twilight, and somewhere in the Arrancar arc for Bleach.


**Hi everyone! Here's my first fan fiction in a couple of years! Sorry about the length - I was originally hoping for maybe 8 or 9 pages in a word processor, and I ended up with 25. Oops!**

**I've written for Twilight before (back in the days when I liked it), but this is my first time writing for Bleach. If I got any facts or character personalities wrong, please let me know in a review. I probably won't change it, but it will be nice to know for future reference.**

**A huge thank-you-very-much goes to my amazing sister who was the first to read this. She put up with my constant nagging to go over it and check that it all seemed fine to her, even though she's only seen maybe five minutes of a Bleach episode before. Much confusion ensued. So thank you, I really appreciate it!**

**Ultimate Showdown: Twilight vs. Bleach**

I was about a hundred metres away with half a forest of trees between us when I heard Renesmee's surprised squeal. I was instantly on alert, and listened carefully for any sounds that might signal a cause for alarm.

"_Those are some sharp teeth you got there. You aren't an ordinary kid, are you?"_

There. A male voice, speaking in accented but good English. A voice I didn't recognise.

I was already running towards the source, tuning into Renesmee's thoughts for her perspective of the situation.

The man was young. That was the first thing I noticed about him. He couldn't have been older than sixteen. The second thing I noticed was how ordinary his face looked. His eyes were a soft brown, and his messy hair was bright orange. The man was kneeling in front of Renesmee, holding her head forward so he could examine her face curiously. It wasn't hurting her, but I felt a burst of anger and increased my speed.

"I'm on my way, Renesmee," I said, knowing she'd be able to hear me, "I'm almost there."

I heard her silent acknowledgement at my words, and quickened my pace so that I was running at full speed. Through my daughter's eyes I watched the man glance at the lion carcass behind him, and then at the spots of blood on her lips.

"_So what are you, then?" _he asked, _"Some sort of vam-"_

I burst through the trees into the clearing then, and was able to see the situation fully. The man was dressed in traditional Japanese clothing - a strange black kimono and plain sandals. I breathed in and almost gagged. He stank of death. He was still kneeling in front of Renesmee, but as soon as I came into view he pulled himself up to his full height. There was a giant sword slung across his back, almost as long as he was tall, and his hand was already moving towards it. The sight of the weapon so near to my daughter, whether it could physically hurt her or not, infuriated me. I charged at the man, and was at him before he could draw his sword. I had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen in shock before I grabbed him and flung him into a tree. I threw him with too much force, evidently, and there was a large, splintering dent in the trunk where his back hit it.

"Stay away from my daughter!" I growled, taking a protective stance in front of her.

The young man looked slightly dazed but, miraculously, unharmed. As I watched in disbelief, he clambered to his feet and faced me defiantly.

"You can see me too, huh?" he asked, looking between me and Renesmee, "Two beings with high spiritual energy, that are super fast, super strong, and," he paused and glanced again at the dead lion, "super carnivorous." I kept my expression blank, careful not to reveal a single emotion, and the man continued speaking. "So, that means that you two are… Nope. I've got nothing, sorry. You." He scratched his neck casually and pointed at me, "Mind telling me what the two of you are? You sure as anything aren't normal humans."

"Nor are you," I replied, narrowing my eyes ever so slightly, "That attack before should have crippled you, and yet there you stand without so much as a bruise."

The young man winced and rolled his shoulders. "Yeah, thanks for that. You have a good throw on you, but man that stung!"

Being thrown at full force through a solid tree _stung?_ "Tell me what you are!" I snapped.

"No way! I asked first!"

"And you think I'm going to tell you just like that?"

"You think _I'll_ tell _you?"_ he countered, raising an eyebrow. He had a point, I admitted to myself. "Y'know, it's a funny thing. About a month ago, a large number of people disappeared and were later found dead in just about every major city and town in the area. Except for this one. At the same time, we detected a high density of spiritual pressure, not unlike your own, in this same town. We didn't think it was a coincidence."

"We?" I repeated, the plural not escaping my notice, "How many of you are here?"

"Just me. They sent me here to investigate." The man shrugged and scowled. "Believe me, I'm just as happy about this as you are."

My eyes narrowed again. "I doubt that."

He sighed, the scowl still prominent on his face. "I'll get straight to the point, then. Did you or the girl have anything to do with the deaths?"

We did. I wasn't going to deny that. Our visitors had needed to hunt while they prepared for what we thought would be an unavoidable battle with the Volturi. They had been here because of us, and so my family was definitely indirectly responsible for the deaths. I wasn't going to tell the young man this, though.

"And what if we did?" I challenged, "Are you going to kill us with that big sword of yours?"

"If I have to," he said, "I can't let any more people get hurt."

I wasn't too worried. Only a werewolf or another vampire could hurt us. The sword, impressive though it might be, wouldn't be able to touch us. However, he was threatening my family, and that was enough to make me crouch defensively.

"Who are you?" I asked. I wasn't expecting him to answer me, so I read his mind to find out. His thoughts were difficult for me to hear, but his name was still there, a whisper…

"Ichigo Kurosaki, is it?" I said.

The young man's breath caught, and his heart skipped a beat. The scowl that I had begun to think was permanent slipped, his eyes widening.

_How the hell did he know that?_

"Surprised?" I smirked at his reaction. "You can't hide any secrets from me, kid."

The man's - Ichigo's - hand moved to the back of his neck and grasped the handle of his sword. He made no move to draw it, however, and his expression relaxed. "So who're you, then? Doesn't seem fair, you two knowing my name and me not knowing yours."

"Edward Cullen," I replied. I didn't see any reason not to tell him.

"And the girl?"

"Renesmee," she said in her clear, tinkling voice.

Ichigo eyed her doubtfully. _Even if she is some sort of monster, can I really hurt her? _he thought. _She killed that lion, but she's still just a little kid. She wouldn't stand a chance against my blade…_

I growled at him furiously. "Don't you even think about hurting her!"

He turned brown eyes towards me. _This guy, on the other hand, should be no problem._

"Don't be so sure about that," I said, "You won't so much as scratch me with that toy."

_There he goes again. Can he actually..?_

"Hear your thoughts?" I finished for him.

Ichigo's looked surprised for a moment, before his face split into a casual grin. "That's a pretty interesting trick you've got there, Ed."

I nodded. "Thanks."

_I suppose it comes in handy when you're murdering people, doesn't it?_

I frowned. "I didn't kill those people."

This pulled him up short. "Oh? Then do you know who did? You definitely have the same sort of spiritual pressure that we detected."

I didn't answer. Our friends had been prepared to risk their lives for us. There was no way I would sell them out.

"You do know, don't you?" At my silence, Ichigo's eyes flickered again to Renesmee. "Was it the girl?" he asked, tightening his hold on his sword. _I don't want to hurt a kid, but if she's killing people…_

"You keep Renesmee out of this!" I roared. The direct threat towards my daughter made me snap. I pounced at the young man, teeth bared. It would only take a few seconds for me to reach his throat…

In a flash, Ichigo had drawn his sword and pulled it in front of his body to block my attack. My chest hit the blunt edge of the weapon and my body was forced to a stop, my teeth mere inches from his throat. His sandaled feet had dug themselves into the dirt to keep from being pushed back against the force of my attack. His face was grim, but otherwise unfazed. He almost looked bored.

"Not bad, Ed," he said, "But not good enough. You surprised me earlier, but you won't catch me again."

_He attacked with his teeth. He must rely on using them as a weapon. If I just avoid his mouth…shouldn't be too difficult if he keeps at this speed…_

"You're pretty observant, kid," I told him, "But don't get too cocky."

Ichigo grinned and leaned forward, putting enough pressure into his sword that I was forced away from him. I returned to Renesmee's side and stared him down.

"Tell me who was behind the murders," he said.

I shook my head.

"I could just beat it out of you," he suggested easily.

"Well you'll just have to do that, because I'll die before I betray anyone's trust."

"Betray their trust?" he repeated incredulously. "So you're just gonna let them keep killing innocent people in cold blood?"

I remained silent.

"You still won't tell me," Ichigo sighed, "Do you really want me to fight you so badly?"

"Go ahead," I told him, "You're fairly strong, but there's no way you'll beat me."

"You sound pretty confident," he noted, "But then again, you're strong too. I'll ask again. What are you?"

I smirked. "No point keeping secrets now that we're about to try and kill each other. I'm a vampire."

Ichigo stared at me for several long seconds. "A vampire," he said finally, then shrugged, "Okay, I'll believe that."

"So easily?" I asked, tilting my head to the side curiously. He didn't even seem frightened by my confession.

"Yeah, whatever. It's no weirder than guys with massive holes through their chests." He scratched his neck and pointed his sword at me. "Anyway, it doesn't make any difference. I can still beat you."

I felt my smirk widen. "Ready when you are."

"Just a sec." He turned his attention back to Renesmee. "Hey, kid, you'd better stand back. If you get too close, I can't guarantee that you won't get hurt."

She looked up at me, her small face frightened and uncertain.

"Renesmee," I said, "go back to the house and get the others."

She nodded. _Be careful, Daddy, _she thought, and started running. We watched her until she was out of sight, and then turned back to each other.

"Before we start," I said, "You now know what I am. So what are you? You aren't human either."

A flash of irritation crossed Ichigo's face at my words.

"Oh? So you _are_ human?"

The scowl was back. "I'm more human than you." But his thoughts betrayed him.

"What's a 'Soul Reaper'?" I asked.

_Stay out of my head._ "You're about to find out."

I grinned. "Just try to keep up."

I used my full speed to circle him before attacking him from the side. His sword came between us just in time, and he skidded back out of the way.

_Crap! He's gotten faster!_

"I was only using a fraction of my maximum speed when I attacked you earlier," I explained, "This is actually how fast I can run!"

I darted forward again, but he was ready for my attack and dodged to the side easily.

"You mean you can't go any faster than this?" he asked, blocking another attack, "This is going to be easier than I thought!"

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you!" I growled. I read his thoughts as I charged at him again. I saw that he was about to jump to the left and changed my direction at the last second, turning as he moved so that I was directly behind him.

I leaned forward, ready to strike at his throat. My teeth just grazed his skin, about to clamp down, and my mouth watered involuntarily. Then he was gone, and my teeth closed on air.

Ichigo reappeared a few metres away, his heart beating wildly. He was panting slightly, and a couple of droplets of sweat dotted his temples._ Damn it! That was too close!_ His eyes didn't leave me, watching for the slightest twitch of a muscle. _He read my mind to anticipate my movements. Cheating bastard!_

"Is that all you've got, kid?" I asked, "After all the talk, I thought you'd be better than this!"

I ran to his left, and came at him from behind again, but he spun around and had his sword ready to block me head-on.

"Heh." He gritted his teeth into a smile, "I'm just warming up! You might be able to read my mind, but what good is that if you can't keep up with my speed?"

I saw what he was going to do, then. He vanished and reappeared behind me, moving so fast that my eyes could barely track him. I instinctively jumped out of the way just in time, and his sword came down where my neck had been a moment earlier, grazing my shoulder slightly instead.

"What was that?" I asked, beginning to feel the first hints of worry.

"It's called 'flash step.'" Ichigo smiled grimly. "See, Ed, your problem is that you keep forgetting who you're fighting. You thought your speed would be enough because no human should be able to track, let alone match, your movements. When you think all I should see is a blur, my eyes can follow every single step. You're just not fast enough!"

I felt my eyes widen despite trying to keep my face blank. "Then I'll just have to be strong enough!" I snarled, "You might be fast, kid, but your sword still can't cut me!"

Ichigo rested his sword on his shoulder and grinned. "Are you sure about that?" he asked, looking at my shoulder.

I followed his gaze and my breath caught in my throat. The fabric of my shirt was torn where his sword had grazed me, and underneath that was a long, bloodless wound. It was shallow, and the venom in my flesh was already knitting the skin back together, but it didn't change the fact that I had actually been cut. I hadn't even felt it. As I watched in disbelief it finished healing itself, leaving behind a silvery scar.

"That's impossible," I murmured, running my fingers over the raised skin.

"What was it you said earlier?" Ichigo asked, "Something about this 'toy' not being able to give you even a scratch?"

I looked back at him. "How?" I demanded, "No human weapon should be able to cut me! My skin's too tough!"

"There you go again, forgetting who you're fighting," said Ichigo. He lifted the sword off his shoulder and ran his hand over the dull side of the blade. The tip glinted when it caught the light, and I could easily see how sharp it was. "Zangetsu isn't some ordinary human blade. His own spiritual energy strengthens his attacks. Sure your skin's tough, Ed, but against me you may as well be a mere human."

I growled and bared my teeth in reply. I was a proud creature by nature, and I couldn't help but find this _boy's_ taunts infuriating. I was more than a little worried, too. Could I really lose to the kid? He certainly thought so, if his thoughts were any indication.

_This is gonna be too easy._ "It doesn't have to end this way for you," he said, "You could always tell me who killed those people."

"You already know my answer," I told him.

Ichigo sighed and raised his eyes skyward. "Yeah, yeah. You'll die before you betray anyone and all that crap." _For a vampire, he's pretty noble._ "Too bad. You seem like a pretty good guy. I don't want to kill you. But if more people are gonna die, then I might have to."

"My kind are pretty durable," I said, smothering my internal panic, "It will take more than a small cut to kill me. Do your best."

He grasped the sword's hilt in both hands and raised it so that the tip was pointed directly at my silent heart. "Just try to keep up," he said, lips quirking into a mocking smile.

I braced myself, and he was gone. The only sign that he hadn't disappeared into thin air was a faint blur of black and orange. I listened for his thoughts and heartbeat. There, behind me! I jumped out of the way before his sword made contact, and climbed the nearest tree. I perched on one of the higher branches, peering down at him. He was fast, but surely he couldn't follow me up here!

Ichigo looked up at me. "Think you can hide, huh?"

He jumped upwards, landing in a smaller tree opposite me. He grinned and jumped again, using the trunk to propel himself higher. It happened so fast that my eyes couldn't keep up with him, and then he was above me, sword raised high and ready to attack.

"Don't lose focus!" he shouted, swinging the sword down.

The branch I was standing on broke away from the rest of the tree when the blade hit it. I jumped back to the ground, but he was already there. Sword pointed at my chest, he charged forward, and I tensed my legs to dodge.

"You're too slow!" said Ichigo triumphantly as the very tip of his sword pierced my skin.

_Got him!_

"Wh-what?" I gasped out, shocked.

I felt the pain this time, unlike before, and I couldn't hold back a choked cry. I gritted my teeth and looked down at the damage. It was a strange sight; a sword through my own body. Judging by where the blade had pierced me, I guessed that it had punctured my right lung. I was glad that I didn't need to breathe. As I watched, Ichigo pushed the sword deeper into my chest, almost to the bandaged handle, and I yelled loudly.

"I'm sorry," he said, and actually sounded like he meant it. _No blood,_ he noted internally. "I'm guessing that this is the first time you've been stabbed. It hurts, doesn't it?"

I glared at the young man. "I've had worse," I told him. Try three full days of agony. "But you still can't kill me. In case you didn't realise, I'm already dead."

"Maybe I don't have to kill you." He scowled. "I'll ask once more! _Who murdered those people?"_

I didn't answer, and he groaned.

"Just give up, already!" he shouted in frustration, "I've already won! There's nothing you can do to beat me!"

I heard something then that made me smile grimly. "Oh really?" I said, "I wouldn't be so sure if I were you."

He heard it too. He went to pull the sword from my body, but I grabbed his hand and held it in place with all of my strength.

"I'm still physically stronger than you," I said, watching his eyes widen in horror.

_Bastard..!_

A huge wolf with reddish fur burst into the clearing then. He surveyed the scene before him, and I heard his shocked thoughts when he saw the sword through my chest. He paused for only a moment before running at Ichigo, who watched the wolf's advance with wide eyes. He tried to pull himself out of my grasp, but I held tight until the wolf was upon him. Claws raked diagonally down his torso and blood spurted out of the resulting gashes. I released my hold on his hand, and the sword was wrenched out of my body as the young man went flying across the clearing. I hissed in pain and collapsed to my knees, pressing my hand against the already healing wound.

_Sorry we're late,_ thought Jacob, standing in front of me and growling at Ichigo. _It looks like this kid really messed you up._

"It's fine," I told him, "Thanks for coming."

Most of my family had followed him into the clearing. Bella and Alice were already at my side, looking shocked by my wounds.

"Are you okay?" asked Bella, sounding panicked.

"I'm alright," I assured her, "Look, it's already healed. Where's Renesmee?"

"She's at the house with Carlisle and Esme," Alice said. She helped me to my feet and stared at Ichigo. "Edward, I can't see him. What on earth is he?"

I frowned. It wasn't good to know that her visions wouldn't help us. "He called himself a 'Soul Reaper', but he wouldn't say what that is. Be careful; he's stronger than he looks, and very fast."

Jacob, Rosalie, Emmett, and Jasper were crouched defensively in front of us, and they all mentally acknowledged my warning. I shook off the hands that were supporting me, and Bella and Alice looked at me in concern.

"I'll be fine," I told them, "It's him we need to worry about now."

Everyone faced Ichigo, who was gasping for breath and sweating. The tip of his sword was pushed into the dirt, and he was leaning on the handle. Blood was dripping from the three large wounds that spread from shoulder to hip, and he was clearly in pain. I had to give him credit, though - not once when he was attacked did he release his sword from his grip.

"So," he said, straightening up and wincing, "back-up has arrived. I thought this might happen. Although, I wasn't expecting the wolf." Jacob growled, and Ichigo coughed out a laugh. He wiped blood from a shallow cut above his left eye. "So you guys are vampires, right? Doesn't my bleeding everywhere make you hungry?"

"You hardly smell appetising," said Rosalie, wrinkling her nose.

"The scent of death is too strong," I told him.

Ichigo looked surprised. "I smell like death to you guys, do I? I guess that makes sense."

"I'm sick of talking," complained Emmett, "Can't we just fight him already? I've been itching for a good fight for months."

Ichigo's eyes flashed to my brother. _He'd fit in well with eleventh,_ he thought, _But then again…_ "Seven against one is hardly fair," he said casually. _I don't know if I'd be able to fight all of them at once. _"Tell me, are any of you the one I'm looking for?"

No one looked confused at the question, and I guessed that Renesmee had filled them in.

"They had nothing to do with it," I snapped.

"We aren't going to tell you anything," said Rosalie firmly.

_Of course not._ Ichigo rolled his eyes. _I guess I'll just have to beat all of them._ "Wait a minute!" he said, looking as though something had just occurred to him, "Vampires kill people, right?"

I raised an eyebrow, and my brothers exchanged a confused look. Did the kid really just figure that out? "Your point?" I asked dryly.

"Well, if you guys kill people, then I don't need to feel bad about beating you."

"None of us have killed a human in decades," I said.

_Doesn't mean you never will again,_ Ichigo thought. "But it was a vampire that killed all those people recently, wasn't it?"

"Bravo," Rosalie said sarcastically, "A true genius. Only someone with real brains could figure that out."

Ichigo looked at her and scowled. _Why does it sound like she's insulting me?_

"I don't need brains to beat you," he said to the group at large, "Are you all as weak as Ed was?"

Emmett grinned. _Now he's talking!_ my brother thought eagerly. "Why don't you find out?" he suggested, flexing his muscles.

Ichigo lifted his sword again, ignoring the blood that ran down his arm. "Sounds good to me."

That was all it took for the battle to resume. Everyone attacked at once, and Ichigo used his sword to deflect all of us. He swung the blade at us, and one by one we twisted out of the way. He darted out of the way when Bella and Alice pounced at him from opposite directions, and immediately dodged Rosalie. He was still fast, but his injuries slowed him down.

_Damn! There's too many of them!_ he thought urgently, _At this rate, I might have to…_

His thoughts broke off when Jacob lunged at him, missing his neck by inches. He skidded to the right, where Emmett was ready for him. My brother's fist shot out, connecting with Ichigo's face. The young man's entire body twisted away from Emmett against the force of the punch, and he rolled across the clearing, coming to a stop when his back collided with a tree. The impact winded him and he coughed, spittle flying out of his mouth.

The hand around the hilt of his sword tightened, but he didn't even get the chance to stand back up. Rosalie grabbed him from behind and lifted him to his feet, her arms holding him in place. Jasper twisted his right arm - the one still grasping his sword - behind his back. Ichigo struggled against their holds, but it was no use. Everyone stopped to stare at the trapped young man.

"Edward," said Rosalie, "would you like to finish him off? It's your fight, after all." She smirked and held him tighter. Something cracked, and Ichigo yelled in pain. By the sound of it, my sister had just broken one or two of his ribs.

"It would be my pleasure," I replied. I couldn't say I was happy about it, but she was right. It was my fight.

I walked over to them slowly, stopping right in front of Ichigo. He was breathing heavily, and his heartbeat was erratic.

_I can't move! They're holding me too tight!_

I bared my teeth and breathed in his unappealing scent.

_There's no time to get out of the way!_

My mouth filled with venom.

_Damn! Damn! Damn!_

I paused only inches away from his face, and prepared to strike…

_**Watch out, Ichigo!**_

The thought came from his head, but it was different. It was a cold, taunting voice, several pitches higher than his own. Ichigo's eyes widened when it spoke, and he reacted instantly. He tilted his head down ever so slightly, so that I wouldn't be able to bite his throat, and he lifted his free hand as though to protect his face.

Everything happened so fast, and I was so surprised that had I not been acting on instinct I would have stopped my attack. However, it was too late for me to do anything other than shut my eyes and bite…

My jaw clamped down forcefully, and I felt bone shatter under my razor sharp teeth. There were several gasps from my family, and it took me a moment to realise that something was wrong. Namely, I didn't taste any blood.

_**Whoops, you missed!**_

My eyes flew open in shock and met Ichigo's. Except that his eyes were no longer the soft brown from a moment ago. The irises were bright yellow, and were framed with a wash of black. It wasn't the colour that startled me, though, but the wild look in them.

More bone crumbled under my teeth as I pulled back, and I could see his face fully again. Or rather, as much of his face as was possible. Most of it was covered by a mask reminiscent of a grinning skull. It was made of bone and striped with a blood-like shade of red. The bottom left edge of the mask had broken away when I bit it, and the corner of a wide, mocking grin was visible.

"What the hell are you?" I growled.

"Did you really think I could be beaten that easily?" asked Ichigo, and his voice had taken on a slight echo, as though two people were speaking at once, "You haven't even begun to see the full extent of my power!"

I glanced at my Rosalie and Jasper, both of whom looked about as stunned as I felt.

"Keep a hold on him," I said, and they tightened their grip enough to break more bones. Ichigo didn't even wince. In fact, he didn't seem to notice them at all.

_**That was a close one, Ichigo.**_ The voice was back. _**A second later and you would have been vamp chow.**_

I was surprised to hear Ichigo's normal voice reply. _I knew what I was doing. Now shut up and stop interfering!_

_**Whatever you say, partner.**_ The cold voice was fading. _**But just remember that the mind-reader is listening in.**_

Ichigo looked at me from behind the skull-like mask, his eyes flashing. "Go ahead and listen," he told me with that strange sounding voice, "It doesn't change the fact that I'm about to beat you and your buddies."

"And how are you going to do that?" I asked. A part of me knew it wasn't a good idea to taunt him, but I was too angry to think rationally.

The visible edge of his mouth stretched even wider. _I guess it's time to stop messing around… But I won't need my mask to beat them._

He reached up and pulled at the air in front of his face. The mask seemed to disintegrate and disappeared with the movement of his hand. His eyes returned to their normal brown, and the manic grin faded back into a scowl. _It's over,_ Ichigo thought, _It'll only take one blast._

The air surrounding his skin started glowing, like some sort of aura, and turned a blinding white and blue. It seemed to flare uncontrollably, and I felt like I was being crushed.

"Get away from him!" I managed to yell at Jasper and Rosalie. The three of us threw ourselves out of the way, joining the others at the opposite end of the clearing.

"What is this?" shouted Alice.

"I told you earlier, Ed," said Ichigo, the bright energy around him dancing, "that Zangetsu isn't an ordinary sword. He's my _zanpakuto. _He lends me his spiritual energy. And in return, if I focus my own spiritual pressure into his blade…" The energy around him flooded into the sword and the blade glowed the same bright blue. "This is Zangetsu's main attack. Get ready, Edward Cullen."

"Everybody look out!" I yelled, reading his mind seconds before he attacked.

He raised the sword high above his head and roared. _"Getsuga tensho!"_

A wave of pure energy crashed towards me and my family when he brought his sword down. We leaped out of the way, and felt the earth shake beneath us. The energy soared past us, blasting apart trees and anything else that was unfortunate enough to cross its path for at least twenty metres.

The ground stilled and the forest went quiet. "Is everyone okay?" I asked loudly, looking immediately at Bella. She nodded, shaken but unhurt. The whole ordeal had lasted only a second or two.

I heard a soft thump, and felt the vibrations of a light, though solid, object hitting the ground. I wondered briefly what it could be, but was too concerned with the ongoing battle. But then Alice's scream tore through the demolished clearing and everyone's attention snapped to her.

My sister was biting back another scream and shaking, staring without blinking at the stump beneath her shoulder. Her arm was lying at her feet, occasionally twitching as it tried feebly to roll over. There was also a deep cut in Alice's side. It seemed that had she not jumped out of the way in time, she would have been sliced in half.

Panicked shouts of "Alice!" filled the clearing. Everyone either ran to her side or positioned themselves defensively in front of her so that she was blocked from Ichigo's view.

"Take her to Carlisle!" I yelled to Rosalie, who was closest.

Rosalie nodded. She picked up the dismembered arm with a sickened look on her face before scooping our sister up gently. Alice cried out in pain and bit her lip. Rosalie held her close and sprinted back to the house.

During all this, Ichigo made no move to attack. He waited patiently, watching us with hard eyes. He let Rosalie and Alice retreat without trying to stop them.

"I'm sorry that your friend got hurt," he said, genuinely meaning every word, "She's lucky that I removed my mask. If that attack had hit her while I was in my Hollow form, she probably would've been blown to bits."

I growled and crouched, ready to pounce, but was stopped by Jasper's hand on my shoulder. His face and posture were calm, but I could sense the pure fury radiating from him.

"This one's mine, Edward," he told me, watching Ichigo with the same calm anger.

The young man couldn't help but shudder under my brother's gaze. _What's this guy's problem? _

"You made a mistake when you hurt Alice," I said, "It really isn't a good idea to make us angry."

_They're all pretty pissed off._ "Bring it on. I'll just knock you back with my _getsuga tensho_ again."

"No you won't," said Jasper calmly, taking a few steps forward, "Can't you feel it? You're too tired."

He sent a wave of lethargy in Ichigo's direction, and watched as he swayed a little.

_What is this? I'm so tired all of a sudden._ He shook his head to clear his vision, which I saw had gone blurry. His shoulders slumped and the grip on his sword slackened slightly. _Damn…My body's so heavy…I can't lift my arms._ _It's him doing this, the blond one._

"What are you doing to me?" Ichigo asked, his words slurred. Unable to hold himself up any longer, he dropped to his knees and looked up at my brother through heavy lids.

"What's the matter?" asked Jasper, a hint of a taunt in his voice as he advanced towards him, "Is my power making you _scared?"_ He manipulated Ichigo's fear levels until the younger man trembled. "You really should feel more guilty than _that_ after hurting my Alice, don't you think? I'm going to kill you in a minute, kid. You should be feeling depressed, worthless, desperate." He threw each emotion out as he said them. "There's no hope left for you. You're all alone."

The last one hit Ichigo worst, and he collapsed face-first into a pitiful heap at Jasper's feet, his hand finally releasing his sword. _Alone._

Jasper crouched and lifted Ichigo's limp body up by his orange hair. The two men glared at each other, neither of them saying a word.

_Damn him…_ thought Ichigo weakly, _He's messing with my emotions…but I can't do anything…Sadistic son of a…_ He lowered his eyes. _It was all because of the Alice girl. I'd be the same if my friends were in danger. I didn't even want to fight these guys, but they left me no choice…_

"Stop torturing him, Jasper," I said firmly, "Just end it."

My brother glanced at me and sighed. He released Ichigo from the effects of all his power but the lethargy.

_He stopped. _Ichigo gasped in relieved breaths.

"It's time to finish this," said Jasper. _I won't bite him,_ he thought, looking at Ichigo's face in disgust, _I wouldn't forgive myself if I lost control, no matter how bad he smells._ He curled his right hand into a claw and struck Ichigo, who still couldn't move, in the gut. His fingertips ripped through the skin of Ichigo's stomach, and stopped a couple of centimetres in.

Ichigo stiffened, his eyes widening. _Damn…_ He choked, blood spilling from his mouth, and looked down at the bloodstained hand that was still piercing his stomach. _It's not too deep…Nothing Orihime can't heal…but since she's not here…_

Jasper ripped his hand out of the wound violently, sending blood flying everywhere. "Next is your heart," he told Ichigo quietly, preparing to strike.

Ichigo closed his eyes, ready for the final blow. _Damn them…_ he thought one last time.

"Roar!" shouted a new voice, cutting through the clearing, "Zabimaru!"

Jasper was knocked back by the edge of something long and made of metal, and Ichigo fell to the ground, eyes flying open. _That's…_ He propped himself up on his left forearm, his right hand clutching his stomach, and looked for the source of the voice. It didn't take long for him to find it. His mouth opened in surprise.

"Oh, what now?" complained Emmett, following Ichigo's gaze.

A young man and woman were standing high above us, on the branch of one of the few trees that hadn't been demolished. They were dressed in the same strange clothes as Ichigo, but otherwise they were completely different. The man was tall and had dark red hair tied up on top of his head in spikes that reminded me of a pineapple. His forehead and neck were decorated with tribal tattoos, only partially hidden by a strip of white cloth that he wore tied above his brow. He was holding onto the end of the metal snake, and I realised that it was some sort of whip-like sword. When he pulled his wrist back towards him the weapon retracted, and the six pieces of metal were only a little longer than his arm.

The woman, on the other hand, was as small and petite as our Alice, standing at only half her companion's height. She had pale skin, dark hair, and violet eyes. Her hand was resting on the handle of her own sword, which was still in the sheath at her hip. The two strangers were looking down at Ichigo, the corners of their mouths turned upwards into cheerful smiles.

"Heya Ichigo," called the man, "You look like you need some help!"

Ichigo stared up at the duo in disbelief. "Renji?" he shouted, then paused to cough, "R-Rukia! What the hell are you guys doing here?"

The woman closed her eyes and her smile grew slightly with a shake of her head. "You dummy," she said fondly, "You've been gone a week already. My brother sent us to make sure everything was okay."

"B-Byakuya sent you?" Ichigo looked at the woman's companion for confirmation. _That's actually pretty thoughtful, for him._

"I believe the captain's exact words were, 'make sure that incompetent boy hasn't caused too much trouble,'" said the red-haired man.

Ichigo's left hand clenched into a fist and he gritted his teeth. _That jerk!_ "I'm handling things fine!"

The man raised an eyebrow at Ichigo's battered and bleeding body. "We can see that."

Emmett stifled a laugh at their banter, and the strangers' attention turned to us.

"So what's up with these guys, Ichigo?" asked the man, "You should have been able to beat them easily."

"Shut up," snapped Ichigo, "I told you I was handling things!"

"Like hell you are! You haven't even used your bankai!"

"I didn't need to use it against these clowns!"

"What the hell are you talking about, moron? You're obviously getting your ass kicked! Just admit it!"

They were shouting at each other now, each response louder than the last. My family and I watched the argument, all of us uncertain whether to intervene or not. I exchanged a confused look with Bella, and saw my brothers doing the same. Jacob just huffed and scratched the ground with his claws impatiently.

Finally, the young woman had enough of her friends' arguing. "Shut up!" she yelled over the top of Ichigo's shout of 'pineapple head'. The two men looked at her sheepishly and she regained her composure.

Ichigo looked like he was about to say something, but instead he started coughing. More blood fell from his mouth, dripping into the dirt.

"Ichigo!" The woman sounded alarmed. The two strangers jumped off their branch, black fabric billowing around them. They easily landed upright, despite the high drop. Their smiles were gone, and they stood in front of Ichigo, facing us.

_Can they really be strong enough to hurt Ichigo so badly?_ wondered the man, eyeing us doubtfully. "You really took a beating, didn't you?" he commented dryly.

"Shut up," said Ichigo defensively, "It was seven against one, and they fought dirty."

"Seven?" asked the woman, her eyes darting around for the remaining two.

"I injured one of them and the other took her away." Ichigo coughed up more blood.

"Oi, Rukia," said the man, "do you think you can heal him?"

The woman, whom we now knew was called Rukia, looked annoyed. "Why me?"

"You know that I'm no good at _kido,_" replied the man.

Rukia paused and thought back to numerous explosions. I saw that all of the memories involved the red-haired man before me. _He has a point,_ she thought. Sighing, she turned her back on us and knelt next to Ichigo.

"Stubborn fool," she muttered to him, "If you'd just used your bankai in the first place, you wouldn't be in this mess."

"I had to give them some sort of chance. Can you heal me or not?"

"Your wounds are pretty bad. I can patch you up, but we should get you to fourth division as soon as possible."

I figured that they were going to be out of action for a while, and returned my attention to the other man.

"So, if the girl's name is Rukia, I guess that makes you Renji," I said.

The man smirked and he reached up to adjust his headband. "Hey, you're pretty bright. If you're all that smart, it's no wonder you beat that idiot so easily." He ignored Ichigo's annoyed exclamation and continued. "If we're introducing ourselves now, I guess it's your turn."

"I am Edward Cullen. This is my family; Bella, Emmett, Jasper, and Jacob." I nodded to them in turn.

"I didn't expect the wolf," said Renji dryly, watching Jacob. The wolf in question rolled his eyes. "Anyway, I take it that you guys aren't the ones we're after."

I raised an eyebrow. "You catch on much quicker than your friend."

Renji just shrugged. "If you were, Ichigo would've killed you ages ago. He's funny like that when it comes to motivation. I'm surprised he was even fighting you in the first place, to be honest." _They must have done something to piss him off. It looks like he fought pretty hard…they're lucky to be standing. _"If you really wanted a fight, though, you're in luck. I'm not as picky as that idiot over there."

"Hey!" Ichigo looked ready to hit the tall man, and he tried to push himself off the ground.

"Stay still!" hissed Rukia, "This is a lot harder than it looks, you know." She was holding her hands over the worst of Ichigo's wounds, her face scrunched up in concentration. I saw that the air around her hands was glowing slightly. _Healing him is taking up a lot of energy. If it comes to it, I won't be able to fight with my full strength._

"So what are we up against here, Ichigo?" asked Renji, looking us up and down. He took notice of my scars. _Did Ichigo do that to him? It looks like a sword wound, but it's fully healed over…_

"They said that they're vampires," Ichigo replied. The familiar scowl was back.

"Vampires aren't real," Renji scoffed.

"What're we, then?" asked Emmett, "Leprechauns?"

"If vampires were real, then we'd know about it. Right, Rukia?" He nodded at his friend smugly.

Rukia just rolled her eyes. "We _do_ know that they're real."

The smug look vanished instantly. "What? What are you talking about, Rukia? Of course they're not real!"

"They're real, and apparently they're standing right in front of us."

"Why didn't I know about this?" shouted Renji, his face turning as red as his hair.

"You fool!" she snapped, momentarily turning away from Ichigo to frown at him. "We learnt about vampires briefly at the academy. Didn't you ever pay attention in class?"

"Huh?" Renji blinked several times before composing himself. "That's not fair, Rukia! It's been about fifty years since we left the academy. Besides, you know I slept through half my classes. You were the one that told me to stop snoring!"

"No wonder you're so bad at _kido_," muttered Rukia, turning back to continue healing Ichigo.

Emmett looked at me. "Can we just get back to fighting already?" Jacob whined in agreement and Jasper nodded.

"We can't attack them while they're distracted like this," said Bella, "That wouldn't be fair."

Rukia and Renji were bickering when we turned back to them. Ichigo was still lying helplessly on the ground, watching his friends argue back and forth.

"You're going to have to fill me in here," he managed to say eventually, "Are these guys vampires or not?"

"Technically, yes," said Rukia, "But I expect that they're very different to what you'd think vampires are like."

"What do you mean?"

"We've known about the existence of vampires for centuries, but never knew much about them. Then about ninety years ago twelfth division got a hold of a young vampire and ran some experiments. Captain Ukitake told me about it once."

Renji shuddered. _I don't envy the vamp that had to deal with Kurotsuchi._

My family and I glanced at each other. _What does she mean 'got a hold of'? Did they capture one? Is that even possible? _thought Jasper.

_A young vampire? As in a newborn? _Emmett was shocked.

_What did they learn about us? _Bella wondered, looking at me with worried eyes.

I glared at the strangers, who barely seemed to notice us. "What do your people know about our kind?"

_They seem worried,_ thought Renji as a confident grin slowly spread across his face. "Why don't you tell them, Rukia?"

Rukia stared at him, an exasperated look on her face. _He doesn't know any more than they do. Fool. _"Apparently vampires are very strong physically; they can lift greater weights and run much faster than a human. From the state of him, I expect that Ichigo already knows that. Being vampires, they obviously drink blood to survive. Some of them also have their own unique powers, but that's rare."

Ichigo nodded at her, the scowl still prominent on his face. "Ed can apparently read minds, and that one," he pointed at Jasper, "did something to mess with my emotions."

"You couldn't have told us this earlier?" asked Renji, looking suddenly paranoid. _Can he really read my mind? Hey, you! The pretty boy with worse hair than Ichigo! If you can hear me, tell me what my name and rank are._

I smirked at him. "I really don't think that insults are necessary, Lieutenant Renji Abarai."

_Crap! Ichigo was right! _"Cocky son-of-a-"

"Will you let me finish, Renji?" asked Rukia, "Or didn't you want me to tell you about vampires?" Renji was silent immediately, and Rukia continued. "As I was saying, the young vampire confessed all this when she was…_interrogated._ Of course, twelfth division being twelfth division, that wasn't enough for them. They conducted some experiments to find out how one actually becomes a vampire. This is where we probably know more than the vampires themselves. Twelfth division observed that when a vampire bites its prey, it excretes a poison into the human's body. Over the course of about seventy-two hours, the poison somehow eats away at the Chain of Fate _while the soul is still in the physical body._ Once the chain is completely gone, the soul becomes permanently trapped in the body and the person becomes a vampire-like being. Another unusual effect of vampirism is that the skin turns hard as stone. What it actually becomes is a substance that is very similar to a Hollow's mask. We believe that vampires are actually a species somehow related to some sort of lesser Hollow. Do you all understand?"

She had turned away from healing Ichigo while she talked, and was using the tip of her sword to scratch diagrams in the dirt. Everyone stared at the labelled drawings, confused. Although I was standing at the other end of the clearing, I could still see that Rukia's drawings looked suspiciously like cartoon bunnies with fangs.

Rukia was looking at Ichigo and Renji expectantly, waiting for a response.

"I guess I understand," said Ichigo, "But the main thing I got from all that is that your pictures are even suckier when you draw them that way."

Rukia clenched her teeth and swung her fist at his face. Ichigo looked up at her with tears streaming from his eyes and clutched his freshly bleeding nose. "What the hell, Rukia? I thought you were supposed to be healing me, not hurting me more!"

"All you had to do was answer my question!" she shouted at him. She held her fist up threateningly and asked, in a much calmer voice, "So, does everyone understand?"

Ichigo and Renji both nodded fervently. My family and I all exchanged uncertain glances.

"We don't," said Bella, breaking the silence. The three strangers turned their attention to her for the first time, and I felt my body tense up with a need to protect her. She looked nervous as she continued. "We don't understand. If what you're saying is true, then we should know. We have never even heard of these 'Hollows'. What you claim to know about us is at best a far-fetched hypothesis."

Renji scoffed at her. "You're obviously lucky enough to have never met Captain Kurotsuchi. If you had, then you would know that he would never leave his research at a 'far-fetched hypothesis'. If he studied vampires, then everything Rukia just said is a confirmed truth." His mouth stretched into a large toothy grin as he surveyed us from underneath his headband. "Look at these guys; they don't even know a thing about their own species. How pathetic."

"Watch who you're calling pathetic, Spikes," growled Emmett, "I bet we can still beat you in a fight, easy."

"Careful, Emmett," I cautioned him under my breath.

"Finally!" said Renji, adjusting his grip on his sword and grinning at my brother, "I've been waiting for one of you to say that since we got here!"

"Well if you're so eager to go the same way as your orange friend, I'll be happy to help you out." Emmett cracked his knuckles and stretched his arms, a challenging smirk on his face.

Renji laughed, an excited spark in his eyes. It was clear to me that his lust for battle was much stronger than Ichigo's. Whether or not this would make him a more dangerous opponent was difficult to say. "Bring it on! Hey, Rukia, since you apparently know so much about vampires, how am I supposed to beat them?" _Clearly they're not as easy to defeat as a normal enemy. By the look of that Edward's scars, I'd say that he took Ichigo's zanpakuto straight through the chest._

Rukia sighed. Whilst my brother and Renji had been taunting each other, she had already gone back to healing Ichigo. "You don't, Renji. You stand down."

The reaction was expected and comical. Renji swung his head around to stare at her, mouth hanging open in astonishment. My family seemed surprised, too. Emmett just looked disappointed.

"What the hell are you saying, Rukia?" asked Renji loudly, "Do you expect me to just back off like a coward?"

"Yes, I do. As soon as I've finished healing Ichigo, we're returning to Soul Society." She shook her head in frustration. "You know, if you'd just paid attention at the academy, you would already know this part."

Renji's answering scowl rivalled Ichigo's. "What part?"

"The part where if you kill these vampires now, then you'll be going back on a three hundred year old alliance with the vampire community."

I stared at her through narrowed eyes. "We don't know of any alliance."

"Well of course you don't. It was formed between four of our oldest captains and your noble family."

"The Volturi," I growled. Beside me, Bella hissed at the name, and Jacob growled.

Rukia nodded. "At the time, our people were kept busy cleaning up the messes left behind by vampire attacks, but there was more work than we could handle. As a result, Hollow activity became much more prevalent and we had to deal with that, too. Eventually it got too much, and so two of our captains went to speak with your Volturi. We agreed that we would leave vampires alone and not kill them as long as they only killed humans for nourishment rather than fun. The Volturi were responsible for keeping an eye on your kind and intervene if the human body counts escalated too much. So far, the Volturi has respected their side of the agreement. There was one problem a short while back, when a vampire murdered one of our own. Instead of ending our alliance, we settled on a compromise."

"What happened?" asked Ichigo.

Rukia looked down at him. "How do you think Captain Kurotsuchi got away with experimenting on a vampire?" she asked grimly.

Bella shuddered at the implication. _That's disgusting,_ she thought to me.

"Yeah, well Kurotsuchi gets away with a lot of things," said Renji, "I doubt this Volturi really had much to do with his experiments. He would have done them anyway."

"Stand down, Renji," Rukia repeated, "You can't fight them."

Renji looked at her, then at us, then at his sword. He sighed. "Fine," he said, frowning. He went to sit on the trunk of a fallen tree and crossed his arms, sword still in hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" growled Emmett, watching his every movement.

"Waiting," he replied, "Rukia's probably going to take a while. Why don't you guys run off and eat some people?" He waved a hand dismissively.

"You want us to forget all this ever happened and just leave?" said Jasper, "Like hell we are! You people hurt our family; you're not getting away with that!"

This seemed to cheer Renji up. "Oh, I am so glad you said that!" He glanced at Rukia. "Am I allowed to fight them if they attack me first?"

Rukia groaned. _There's just no discouraging him! I suppose it stems from his time in eleventh division… _"Fine. But if you end up killing them, it's on your head, _Lieutenant."_

"Well, in that case." He smirked at Emmett, "Looks like it's up to you to make the first move."

"Hey, no fair!" complained Ichigo, "How come Renji gets to have all the fun?"

"Maybe because I wasn't careless enough to get myself ripped to shreds," he said, turning to look at the young man who was covered in blood, "Besides, why shouldn't I? After all, Ichigo, you'd be dead if it weren't for…"

He broke off in order to deflect Emmett's sudden attack. My brother's upper body collided with the blunt side of the segmented sword for a brief moment before he was pushed back. Renji wasted no time in throwing his arm out in front of him, so that his sword extended into a whip aimed right at Emmett. When Emmett leaped to the side, Renji flicked his wrist slightly and the whip followed its target. Dodging the large metal fragments, he charged again at Renji, who pulled the whip back to him. As it passed my brother, the sharp metal managed to just catch his collar bone, leaving a shallow cut. It didn't slow him down, though, and the whip reverted back into a sword just as Emmett reached its wielder. Renji moved as fast as Ichigo had, disappearing for an instant before reappearing only a foot away from our group. Jacob, who was closest, swung his claws at him, making him hop backwards. He landed lightly, and threw his sword-whip out again, this time aiming at the wolf. As he did so, Bella attacked him from behind, snarling through bared teeth. Renji flashed away from her and flicked the whip in her direction. I pulled her out of the way just in time, and took the blow instead. I felt the blade rip into my forearm and held back a hiss. Renji grinned and tugged on the handle so that the weapon dragged across my wound painfully. I clenched my teeth and watched as Jasper and Emmett jumped at our enemy from either side. My distraction had worked. The sword pulled out of my arm and swung towards Emmett, knocking him out of the way. It once again returned to its usual shape, and Renji held it between himself and Jasper quickly, narrowly avoiding a would-be lethal bite. He distanced himself from our group again, keen eyes watching for our next attack.

"Heh," said Jasper suddenly, staring at the sword in Renji's hand. _Are you noticing a pattern here, Edward?_

I thought of the fight so far. "Now that you mention it…" I said, also taking an interest in the sword.

Renji looked at me when he heard my voice. "Something wrong, pretty boy?"

"I might ask you the same thing," I told him, "I think there's something wrong with your sword. Or is it just that you have a limit on its number of strikes?"

Our opponent was careful to control his thoughts. _Mind reader,_ he reminded himself, _don't give anything away._ But it wasn't his mind that I was interested in.

_His zanpakuto can only manage three long-distance attacks before it returns to its basic released form, and then he has to wait for it to power up again… The time between attacks is when he is most vulnerable…_

Renji was still watching me confidently. "If you were hoping to trick me into revealing my zanpakuto's secrets, mind reader, I'm afraid you're out of luck."

I smirked at him. "I don't think so. You aren't the only one who knows about your sword, and you weren't the one I was trying to trick." I glanced at his friend, who was watching us from the sidelines. "Thanks for your help, Ichigo."

Ichigo's fingernails scraped the dirt as he clenched his hand into a fist. _Bastard..!_

Renji's tattooed brow furrowed. "Cheater," he accused. Then he shrugged. "Oh well, I guess I'll just have to be more careful from now on."

He swung the sword at us, and once again it extended into a whip. My family and I moved in different directions, trying to confuse him, and dodged each strike. One…two…three.

"Now!" I shouted, pouncing at Renji with Bella, Jasper, and Jacob. Renji flashed out of the way with ease and quickly looked around for my other brother. Sweat dropped from his temples when he located him.

Renji had been anticipating an attack on himself, and Emmett had taken advantage of this fact. Instead of going for our opponent, he was heading straight for Rukia. She hadn't noticed, still busy healing Ichigo with her back to us.

"Rukia, look out!" yelled Renji. He was too far away to reach her before Emmett did, even with his much greater speed, and his sword was currently useless when it came to long-distance attacks.

Rukia's head turned, and she looked up at Emmett with wide eyes as he reached for her, getting closer every second. Her hand went instinctively to the sword at her hip, but it was too late for her to draw it.

A flash of metal and Emmett abruptly froze in his tracks. Rukia stared up at him with her mouth slightly open and beads of sweat on her brow. Several droplets of blood hit the ground with gentle splashes. The two of them were like a pair of statues, the stillness broken only when Rukia gasped in a breath.

Ichigo stood between them, his sword held up against Emmett's neck. The wound in his stomach was much shallower than before, but the slashes across his torso still occasionally dripped blood. At the moment he didn't seem to care about, or even notice, his wounds.

Rukia's wide eyes shifted from Emmett to the young man in front of her. _I didn't even see him move… Even with his injuries, he's so fast…_

"Rukia," said Ichigo, his eyes never once leaving Emmett's, "are you okay?"

She nodded quickly, but then remembered that he couldn't see her. "I'm fine, Ichigo."

"Good." He pressed his sword a little into Emmett's neck. My brother's eyes flickered down at the sharp metal nervously, but otherwise he didn't dare make the tiniest movement. Ichigo smiled grimly. "Renji, Rukia, what do you guys think? If I take his head off, will it actually kill him?"

"There's only one way to find out," said Renji.

"Emmett, get away from him!" shouted Bella. She looked as panicked as I felt. Neither of us relaxed until Emmett leaped backwards and rejoined our family. I clapped him on the shoulder, relieved that he wasn't hurt.

"Thanks," said Ichigo, far too calm for my liking.

"I beg your pardon?" I asked.

"That was a dirty trick you just pulled. But it also gave me all the motivation I need to stop holding back." He glanced at Jasper and the corners of his lips pulled upwards slightly. "You people tried to hurt my friends; you're not getting away with that."

My family shared panicked looks. _He really means it,_ thought Jasper, _If he fights any harder than he has so far, I don't know if we can beat him!_

"Ichigo…" said Rukia, looking worried. _He's still injured._

"Thanks for healing me, Rukia. I'm well enough to fight again. You and Renji stay back; I'll finish this."

"Dummy," Rukia said, standing up and unsheathing her sword, "You aren't keeping us out of this fight."

"Damn right you aren't," agreed Renji, appearing next to them.

"Fine. But those three are mine." He pointed at Jasper, Emmett, and myself.

"Well then, I'll take the wolf," said Rukia, "I hope you guys don't mind if I hurt your pet."

A low growl rumbled in Jacob's throat. _I'm no one's pet! That little..!_

Renji looked at Bella, sizing her up. "I guess that leaves the girl for me. Too bad, she doesn't look like much."

I tensed up anxiously, but my wife just bared her teeth and hissed at him. "Don't underestimate me! You'd be surprised by how strong I am." _I know you're worrying about me, Edward, but don't. I still have my newborn strength; I'll be fine._ "Besides," she said, to both me and Renji, "I know that sword's weakness. Three strikes, Renji, and you're out."

Emmett stared at her. "I'm disappointed, sis. Was that a threat, or a really bad pun?"

"Shut up, Em!"

Renji ignored them. "You think you can beat me because you know when I'm most vulnerable? Heh, sorry to disappoint you but I have another trick up my sleeve to wipe out that weakness."

Rukia's head snapped around to face him. _Does he mean..?_

Renji's eyes were fierce as he raised his sword. "Bankai!" he shouted.

My head was assaulted by the loud and jumbled thoughts of my family. Pure shock was threaded through each of their minds as we stared at Renji.

His weapon had changed. It was no longer a sword, or even a whip. In fact, it didn't resemble any sort of weapon I had ever seen. It was more like a giant snake. What had previously been the metal links of the whip now looked like vertebrae, and it had grown so that it coiled into a circle around Renji. The end of the _thing_ was a skull of some sort of snake, but it was almost the size of a small car.

"What the hell is _that?"_ asked Jasper. Usually the most composed of all of us, even he was staring at the weapon in horror.

"Do you like it?" asked Renji. A pelt was slung over the shoulder of his black robes, having appeared with the giant skeletal snake. "This is my bankai - Hihio Zabimaru. Were you thinking that you had already seen all of my power?"

My Bella was going to go up against that thing. I swallowed my anxiety. If need be, I could tell her to run and fight Renji myself. I glanced at her, and she was looking determinedly up at the weapon.

"I still don't understand what that thing is," she said. Her voice was calm, but I saw that she was biting her lip; a tell-tale sign of her true feelings.

"A bankai is the final release form of a Soul Reaper's zanpakuto," explained Renji, examining it proudly, "Only the strongest of us can achieve it, and to do so it usually takes at least ten years of training. In case you haven't figured it out yet, a bankai is much more powerful than our shikai - initial release. Do you still think you can beat me?"

Bella swallowed nervously. I reached for her. "Bella…"

She pushed my hand away gently. "I'll be fine," she assured me, and sank into a predatory crouch. There was a second or two where she and Renji just glared at each other, sizing their opponent up, and then she pounced at him. The weapon swung at her and she barely avoided it, jumping back a metre before going in for another attack. With every leap she narrowly dodged the weapon, until she collided with the skeletal side and was knocked to the ground briefly.

"Bella!" I shouted anxiously, but she was already back on her feet and jumping to the side. The snake-like head crashed into the ground where she had been just moments earlier, leaving a small crater.

Jacob started forward with a growl, but Rukia appeared in front of him, blocking his way. "I am your opponent, wolf."

His paw darted out and she nimbly jumped back to avoid the sharp claws. She held her sword out in front of her and started to turn it in a counter-clockwise circle. "Dance," she commanded, "Sode no Shirayuki!"

By the time the sword completed its circle, it had a long ribbon trailing from the handle and was the purest white. I was sure that, barring my wife and daughter, it was truly the most beautiful thing I had ever laid eyes on. My brothers and Jacob were also staring at the sword in equal awe.

"You shouldn't take your eyes off your enemy," said a quiet voice to our left.

My brothers and I turned back to see Ichigo standing nearby. A trail of blood drops showed his path from the other end of the clearing to his current position, and he still looked rather weak. Although he tried to hide it, his injuries were still affecting him and the short walk over to us had used up most of his energy. I felt slightly more confident about fighting him again.

"You tried to hurt my friends," he said again.

"And what are you planning on doing about it, Orange?" asked Emmett. Now that the sword was gone from his throat, most of his confidence had returned. "You can barely stand. Do you really think you can take the three of us on?"

Ichigo swayed a little as he lifted his sword, but it took only a second for him to regain his balance. He pointed the sword at us, and the bandage around the handle flared out and fell in a way so that it wrapped itself around his right arm. The other hand came up to brace the top of his wrist. His face was grim. _Sorry about this, Ed._

"No!" I gasped, "Jasper, Emmett! Get back!"

The three of us distanced ourselves from him just in time.

"_Bankai!"_

For a few moments, I felt like I was being crushed. I had to use all my strength to keep standing, rather than being forced to my hands and knees by the power Ichigo was emitting. Then the energy settled, and I could breathe properly again. On either side of me, I could hear Jasper and Emmett gasping unnecessary breaths into their dead lungs.

I looked up at our opponent. His sword had turned black and changed shape; it was still fairly long, but much slimmer than before, with a short chain dangling from the handle. Ichigo's clothing had changed as well. The black robes were more form-fitting and more like a long coat. I saw that the lining was a deep red, and the bottom hem was tattered. He didn't seem bothered at all by his remaining wounds.

"So your friend isn't the only one with more power than he lets on," I said.

Emmett surveyed Ichigo, his eyes running over the smaller sword. _It doesn't look like much,_ he thought, comparing it to Renji's giant snake-like weapon.

"Be careful," I cautioned my brothers, "Remember that he was more powerful than his friends to start with. And if what Renji said earlier is true, then he's much stronger than he looks."

Jasper narrowed his eyes, and his analytical mind worked away furiously. "If we want to kill him, then we should do it quickly. Go for his head and neck when you atta-"

He broke off and sucked in a shocked breath. Ichigo had moved without us realising, even though I had been sure not to take my eyes off him. He was standing directly next to Jasper, so close that their shoulders touched. A fraction of a second later, he had buried his sword in my brother's abdomen, between the ribs. Jasper hissed and snarled in pain, but it was barely a second before Ichigo yanked the sword back and moved past him. His thoughts gave him away when he silently appeared behind me and swung his sword at my head. It was only just enough warning for me to dodge. Instead of cutting my head in two, as I had no doubt he was aiming for, the blade brushed over the side of my face, tearing off my ear painfully before slicing several inches into my shoulder. Ichigo appeared in front of us again, and moved on to Emmett. The sword slashed across his muscular chest, leaving an alarmingly deep gash from armpit to armpit.

Jasper and Emmett had both collapsed to the ground, holding their wounds. I braced myself for another attack, but until my shoulder healed itself I knew that my left arm was useless. When Ichigo stopped in front of me, ready to strike, my uninjured arm shot out towards his head. I was feebly hoping to tear it off his neck and be done with it. However, he easily caught my wrist when it was only centimetres away from his face, despite me using my full strength.

"You've gotten stronger," I said through gritted teeth.

He knocked my hand out of the way. "I know that my bankai isn't as flashy as Renji's, or any other Soul Reapers' for that matter. But it doesn't need to be."

I was knocked to the ground when he stabbed me again, and it was just as painful as the first time. I swore under my breath, but didn't cry out like before. Emmett and Jasper were still similarly incapacitated. I knew it would only take a couple of minutes before our wounds healed, but that was all the time Ichigo would need to finish us off.

Ichigo stood over Emmett. _This one first. _"I'm sorry, but this is what happens when you try to hurt my friends." _I'm supposed to protect them. _His hand clenched into a fist as he glanced at the young woman with the white sword. When he looked back down at Emmett there was regret in his eyes, which quickly turned to resolve. My brother braced himself, but couldn't keep from flinching. It was completely silent in the clearing as everyone watch on in either horror or a kind of rueful satisfaction. Ichigo lifted his sword and swung it down at Emmett's neck.

An unmistakeable _chink_ of metal hitting metal rang out through the forest, breaking the silence. The horror and satisfaction turned instantly to mutual shock. Emmett drew in a shuddering gasp of relief beside me, and Ichigo's eyes widened.

Another sword had cut in front of Emmett, blocking Ichigo's own blade. My eyes followed the length of the new sword, and found the man holding it.

Jasper growled quietly under his breath. _Another one… How many more of them are there?_

The man's eyes flicked to Jasper for a second at the sound of his growl, before he returned to watching Ichigo stoically. He was almost as pale as my family, and his hair was long and dark, styled with a strange sort of white hair ornament. He wore a scarf around his neck and a sleeveless white cloak over the black robes that I was beginning to think of as a kind of uniform. It was the way he carried himself, though, with a strange, serene air of nobility, that was most striking about him. Strangely, I felt almost intimidated at being in this new stranger's presence.

It seemed that the other fights were over. Jacob's feet were encased in ice, making him unable to move from his current position. Due to his high body temperature, however, the ice was already starting to melt. Bella, I realised in panic, was pinned to the ground by the snake head's jaws. Apart from being trapped, though, the two of them seemed unhurt, and I sighed in relief. Jasper and Emmett's wounds had healed over, but they remained on the ground. My own injury was almost healed, leaving another silvery scar in my stomach, and I was able to move my left arm again.

Rukia was the first to break the shocked silence, staring at the new man in bewilderment. "Brother…" she said, but then seemed at a loss for words.

Renji continued where she left off, looking just as stunned. "Captain Kuchiki! What are you doing here?"

The man's attention turned to them briefly, lingering on Rukia for a moment longer. _She is unharmed._ His thoughts were softer than the others', and it was almost difficult for me to catch his voice. He turned back to Ichigo.

"Put your zanpakuto away, Ichigo Kurosaki," he said. His voice was deep and calm and filled with authority.

Ichigo stared at him, his mouth hanging open slightly. "Byakuya, what…why are you..?"

"You will not kill these vampires. Now retreat."

"You know that they're vampires?" asked Renji, "Why didn't you tell me and Rukia when you sent us here?" He flicked his weapon upwards so that it released Bella. My wife darted to my side, and I took her hand instantly.

"The Department of Research and Development analysed the spiritual energy and discovered that it belongs to vampires several days ago. However, they did not see fit to report their findings until hours after you and Rukia left Soul Society. Because I was the one who sent you three on this mission, it is now my responsibility to bring you back."

"But…" began Ichigo.

The man cut him off. "I am sure you are aware by now of our agreement with the noble Volturi family. No vampire will come to any harm by the blade of a Soul Reaper. And that includes you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo stared at him for a few moments, hesitating, before he pulled his sword away. Only then did the other man return his own sword to the sheath at his side. He faced us.

"I wish to speak with the leader of your clan," he said.

My brothers and I exchanged glances, and I stood up. "Our father is currently tending to my sister, who was wounded during our fight." I shot Ichigo a dark look. "If all you want is to talk, then I will be my family's spokesperson."

The man surveyed me, looking almost unimpressed. "Very well, then. What is your name?"

"I am Edward Cullen. This is my family."

"My name is Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the sixth division of the Gotei 13 in the Soul Society. Please extend my apologies to your father for my subordinates' actions."

"I will," I told him. I wasn't about to admit that the title meant nothing to me.

Byakuya nodded. "I assume that you have been told why we are here? Several weeks ago, we picked up a high density of spiritual energy coming from this area. At the same time, our Soul Reapers residing in nearby cities and towns reported a larger number of fresh souls than usual."

"Yes, Ichigo more-or-less told us this."

"We know now that the energy belonged to vampires like yourselves. However, we need to know how many vampires were behind the killings and why there were so many."

"I told Ichigo already that we aren't going to sell out our friends," I growled, narrowing my eyes.

Byakuya was unfazed. "Unless the killings were committed needlessly - that is, for reasons other than nourishment - I can assure you that no harm will come to your friends."

"And we're just supposed to take your word for it?"

"I give you my word as a captain of the Gotei Thirteen. However, if you still do not wish to cooperate, I must warn you that I have been given permission by our head captain to use whatever force I deem necessary in order to make you speak," he said, his voice as calm as ever.

I glanced at Jasper, Emmett, and Jacob, and then at Bella. She nodded slightly, squeezing my hand.

"I can tell you that they only hunted for food or strength," I said slowly, "There was twenty eight of us in total, though only seventeen hunted humans."

"I see," said Byakuya, "Thank you for your cooperation. Our further dealings over this matter will be with the Volturi. We will not disturb your family again." He started to turn away.

"Stop!" said Jasper, getting to his feet, "You're going to leave just like that?"

Byakuya looked at him over his shoulder. "Is there a reason we shouldn't?"

Jasper pointed at Ichigo, uncharacteristically angry. "That _boy_ hurt my wife! He almost killed her! I'm not going to let you leave until we've done the same to him!"

Emmett stood up and put a restraining hand on his shoulder. "Calm down, Jas."

"No!" snarled Jasper, shrugging away from Emmett's grip, "What if it had been Rose? Would you be telling me to calm down then?"

"Foolish boy," said Byakuya, "Alliance or not, if you attempt to attack us now, I won't hesitate to strike you down. As it is, we are prepared to leave you in peace. Be content that you and your family are still alive. Do not throw your life away over something as insignificant as you wife's ill fortune."

"Leave them, Jasper," I said softly, "You know we can't beat them. They're not worth dying for."

The wildness in his eyes disappeared slowly, and they turned dull. He turned away from us and ran from the clearing without a word.

"He's going back to the house to be with Alice," I told my family quietly. I understood how he felt; if anything happened to my Bella, I would want to destroy whoever was responsible, too. I looked back at Byakuya. "You may leave."

He nodded at me. "Farewell, Edward Cullen."

Rukia and Renji joined him, both their swords back to normal. At a small gesture from Byakuya, Renji seemed to turn his sword like a key. The air shimmered slightly, and what looked like a large pair of sliding doors appeared out of nowhere in front of them. Byakuya stepped through them first, and vanished from sight. Renji followed him, and then Rukia. Ichigo hesitated, still standing in front of us, but then started to go after them.

"Wait!" I called, and he stopped at the doors to look at me inquisitively.

"What now?"

"The Volturi they mentioned. They hold a grudge against our family. They have threatened to kill us several times now, and I have no doubt that they'll eventually try to go through with it."

"So?"

I paused, glancing down at Bella and then back at him. "Your people are strong fighters. We could use your help in our war against the Volturi."

Ichigo looked stunned for a second, but quickly arranged his features back into a scowl. _After everything, he has the nerve…_ "Sorry, Ed, but you'll find that the universe doesn't revolve around your family. Soul Society is in the middle of a war of their own. They don't have time to waste on your rivalries. And they aren't 'my people'. I told you before, remember, that I'm _much_ more human than you are. But that won't ever stop me from beating you vampires." He smirked a little and stepped through the doors. "See you around, Ed."

The doors closed themselves as soon as he was gone, and then faded into nothingness. The air was still, peaceful once again. Only the knocked down trees, blood on the ground, and our own scars were left behind as evidence that the four strangers had ever been in the forest.

The four of us remaining were silent for several minutes, trying to get our heads around everything that had happened in the last few hours. Then the ice around Jacob's feet finished melting enough for him to free himself, shattering completely as he stepped away.

"Let's go," I said quietly, putting my arm around Bella and squeezing her shoulders gently. The sun came out from behind a cloud, lighting up the open clearing and making our skin sparkle like crystal. It was a sharp contrast to the destruction around us.

Bella shuddered a little. "That sounds good to me," she murmured.

"Wait," said Emmett. He picked something small and shiny up off the ground and handed it to me, looking disgusted. "I think this is yours."

I stared at the thing sitting in the palm of my hand. "My ear," I said, a funny feeling in my stomach. I had forgotten that I lost it during the last moments of the fight. Now that I remembered, the side of my head seemed to throb painfully.

Bella pulled my arm a bit, and led me away from the clearing. The four of us ran back to the house in silence. Renesmee was waiting on the front porch for us, and Bella scooped her up into her arms.

Jacob stayed back. _I'm going to go fill the pack in on what happened._

I nodded, and he disappeared back into the trees. The rest of us filed into the house. Esme greeted us in the hall, looking anxious and almost crying.

"Oh, thank goodness you're all okay!" she said, pulling me and Bella into an embrace. She saw my ear and gasped. "You'd better get Carlisle to check it out. He's just finished with Alice. They're in the living room."

"Thanks, Esme," I told her as she hugged Emmett.

Alice was lying on the couch with Jasper holding her hand. Her arm and shoulder were covered in bandages, but she seemed much better. "They're gone," she said simply when I walked into the room.

I nodded. "I don't think they're going to bother us again."

"Did you win?"

I thought about it, uncertain. "We lost."

Bella touched my arm softly. "We're all alive," she reminded me. I just shook my head, feeling suddenly very tired.

Carlisle bandaged my ear back onto my head, telling me that it would have to heal itself. After he was done, we all gathered in the dining room.

"Now," said Carlisle, "what happened? Who did this to you all?"

Everyone looked at me automatically, expecting me to explain. I sighed. "There was four of them in the end. They called themselves 'Soul Reapers.'"

"Soul Reapers?" he repeated, looking stunned.

"Do you know of them?" asked Jasper, seeing the look of recognition in our father's eyes.

"Yes, but I haven't heard the term in centuries."

"Tell us," said Bella, her interest caught.

We all stared at Carlisle, waiting for his story.

"It was about three hundred years ago," he began, "I was still staying with the Volturi at the time. One day, two Soul Reaper captains visited them…"

**What do you think? Let me know if you hated it! Let me know if you loved it! Any middle ground is also welcome, and constructive criticism would be awesome!**


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